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All about the community of model railroading and rail enthusiasm

COWCATCHER MAGAZINE

2021 Cowcatcher Magazine

All issues priced at $5.95 unless otherwise noted. Includes shipping in the U.S.

Vintage Essential – January/February 2021: Since its inception 31 years ago, the McKinney Avenue Trolley has evolved from a nostalgic ride in a trendy Dallas neighborhood to a key link in Big D. PLUS, readers say the state of model railroading is good, but growing the hobby remains a big challenge; the Crossville Model Railroad Club in Crossville, TN, runs trains for the public and tells the region’s railroad history along the way; Rapido Trains’ HO Flexi-Flo hopper delivers on detail and variety; and the Vicksburg, Shreveport & Pacific bridge has weathered time to provide a key link across the Red River.

January/February 2021




Pressing Ahead – March/April 2021: Once one of Dallas/Fort Worth’s premier model railroad club layouts, the HO-scale Gulf & Denver Railroad Authority is rebuilding from the ground up. PLUS, a new administration on Capitol Hill that favors rail could hold big things for Amtrak; a thin line of trees provides visually pleasing separation on the N-scale Whitehurst & Pine Ridge Railroad; The Colorado Eagle retained all the amenities of first-class travel 20 years after its arrival; and ScaleTrains.com acquires HO and S tooling from M>T.H. Electric Trains.

March/April 2021




Tele-help – May/June 2021: Big data is getting bigger in railroading when it comes to tracking freight cars. PLUS, the N-scale Bayou City & Gulf has been a fixture at a Houston train store for decades and an ambassador to model railroading; the proposed Kansas City Southern and Canadian Pacific merger holds opportunity for a seamless North American rail network; The Golden Age of Passenger Travel heads east on the Baltimore & Ohio’s National Limited; and Watco purchases Canadian National’s non-core lines and assets on the Soo subdivision.

May/June 2021




Backed Up – July/August 2021: Manufacturers are juggling supply shortages of electronic devices, including those that support DCC model railroad equipment. PLUS, Norfolk & Western No. 611 returns to the Strasburg Rail Road for special excursions; the HO-scale Mystic Branch offers eight steps for preparing engines and cars for operations; Rapido’s HO-scale Southern Pacific SW1200 locomotive sounds off with plenty of muscle and might; and the Pan American was the “beauty of the Southland” for the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. And more!

July/August 2021 $6.25

Backed Up – September/October 2021: Grapevine, TX, which enjoys robust tourism, has become a total rail destination with the link of TEXRail to DFW International Airport and the Grapevine Vintage Railroad. PLUS, the HO Rock Harbor Railroad employs a homemade carfloat system to deliver cars; modeling a modern-day printing operation on the Whitehurst & Pine Ridge Railroad; ScaleTrain.com’s HO Bethlehem Steel Co. F68CH flatcar doesn’t buckle under pressure; and the East Troy Railroad Museum welcomes the return of former Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Car No. 761. And more!

September/October 2021 $6.25




Springmaid Line – November/December 2021: The history-rich Lancaster & Chester Railroad short line has become ingrained in north central South Carolina and is enjoying a very active growth mode. PLUS, the N-scale Gateway Grain Railway packs detail in a small space; Northland Rail aims to boost marketing for model railroad and railroad organizations behind the expertise of veteran hobbyists; Large newspaper press rooms depended on rail for delivering paper, as told in the second part of the Cowcatcher’s series on modeling a modern-day newspaper production facility; the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad marks 50 years (plus one) of narrow-gauge excursions between Chama, NM, and Antonito, CO; and take a ride on the Rocky Mountaineer’s newest excursion, “Rockies to the Red Rocks.”

November/December 2021 $6.25




Current Issue: July/August 2025

$6.95 (U.S. Orders Only)

Katy Flavor

Growing up in Central Texas in the 1980s, David Heyde loved big machinery. Only natural for a boy surrounded by a mighty river complemented by steamboats, an active Army airfield and regional airport, and equipment that tended row upon row of corn, soybeans and other grains. What loomed largest, though, was the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. Heyde’s MKT Central Texas Subdivision, a compact but bold HO-scale layout, captures on two levels around the walls the zest of the iconic railroad that ran from Kansas City and St. Louis to Galveston, TX, and the Gulf of Mexico. All while maximizing space in what once was a one-car garage.

Holding Steady

This year’s National Narrow Gauge Convention is coming home, where it all began 45 years ago. The Mudhens will once again have a large presence at the convention Sept. 3-6 in St. Louis. Over the last four decades, their rise has been rather circuitous. While developing national appeal in narrow-gauge circles, these dedicated modelers from St. Louis to Arizona to Texas have persevered.

Personal Switcher

The Kansas City West Bottoms Railroad (KCRR) debuted in early March, with no small impact on a parcel of track along the former Missouri Pacific Railroad near the Kansas-Missouri line. What’s turning heads, says KCRR president Rich Duncan, is that the tiny Class III short line is rewriting the railroad marketing narrative on first-mile, last-mile service with a new level of dedicated switching so its three customers can better connect to the Union Pacific.

Plus

Columnist Michelle Kempema writes that model railroaders and railfans can preserve their legacy for a good cause, railroads once ran special trains in enormous size and variety and autonomous battery-electric rail cars are being piloted on two Georgia short line railroads. Also, one modeler looking for something unique for his layout found just the thing in an old model railroad magazine - plans to scratch build a rock bunker. And more!